What is the point, really?

[AwkwardLoudness]

What is the point of having a huge bass rig? Every show I've ever played I get a line to the PA.

If you always play shows with a good, reliable PA system with ample monitors, then no you don't need a huge bass rig. However, many of us do not have that luxury.

Also I have my own tonal preference, there is only one way to get the sound of a roaring big iron tube amp, and that's with a roaring big iron tube amp with enough speakers to handle the onslaught. For the record, a 6x10 cab is the smallest cab I've used live.

 

[JimmyM]

I do not buy the "tone" argument. In my opinion, the whole "Tone" thing with bass is so completely overblown... Ah, don't get me started!

oh, go ahead and get started, bigold. i'm really interested in your thoughts, because the laws of audio physics do support the idea that a big cab sounds better than a small cab.

 

[ljazz]

If you always play shows with a good, reliable PA system with ample monitors, then no you don't need a huge bass rig. However, many of us do not have that luxury.

That's kinda my thing...... There is really no excuse to having to play a show without a good reliable PA. I think a good arguement can be made that instead of paying for more/bigger bass rigs, it may better suit your playing situation to invest into a good PA. A couple grand worth of PA could put you into a situation where playing a room with less than suitable PA is a thing of the past...... and the whole band sounds better for it. Since getting my "moderate" pa rig, I have yet to play without a decent PA. Even clubs with small PA's have no problem with us setting up our rig instead of theirs. Of course, if it's a tiny room, and I can get away carrying the room with just a 112 and my head, then great, we don't worry about it.

 

[Tim1]

Another consideration is the volume and playing style of the other band members. I have always found the drums to be the basic denominator - a drummer can't turn down without changing his hitting style (it seems to me) or changing to a quieter kit. I play with a drummer who is very loud and will never change his much loved stage kit. I have a fabulous and well known guitarist whose signature sound comes from his 100 watt Marshall half or full stack (no point in getting into arguments that a combo would give similar tone - how do you respond if someone tells you to change your much loved bass rig). On top of this, I want to hear my bass on stage and we all know that bass gets louder the further away you get.... So, most of my gigs I have little option but to use my SVT VR or Orange AD200 into a Berg NV. And I love it
We have several PA rigs capable of carrying the whole band or most venues have a full inhouse PA, but our onstage sound is still loud. I have got used to it over twenty plus years with the same band.
Suddenly I feel like I am apologising for liking to feel my bass and play through a grunty rig - rant, rant. And to finish up, the students at my high school put on a lunchtime outdoor concert on Thursday. I took along both my Berg NV cabs and the SVT VR for the bassists to play through. The music teacher told me that he had trained the bands to play as quietly as possible onstage and let the PA do the work (probably good advice, but it sure ain't rawk'n'roll as I knew it). So there they were, the guitarists with fifty watt Fender and Peavey transistor combos mic'ed up.....but you should have seen the huge ear to ear grin from those young bass players. I was listening out front, we did not crank the SVT (DI also) and kept the volume down to match the others onstage but man, the difference that all that headroom and speaker area makes even when you do not crank it.
Anyway, too much raving, just had an all nighter so off to bed.

 

[lomo]

...... There is really no excuse to having to play a show without a good reliable PA.

This would be funny if it wasn't so presumptuous. You have no clue about my (or anyone else's) specific gigging situation. Telling me what I have "no excuse for" is baseless (pun intended). I'm happy you have found what works for you. Count me among those who thoroughly enjoy a powerful rig, even though I can always go through our adequate PA.

 

[HolmeBass]

Also, A lot of places I play don't like to run bass through the stage monitors either, so stage volume from my rig is all I get most of the time anyway.

This. I don't like my bass through the monitors (floor wedges) anyway, even if it is possible. It never sounds good to me and it messes with the other instruments/vocals I'm trying to monitor.

 

[Ric5]

What is the point of having a huge bass rig? Every show I've ever played I get a line to the PA. I guess there have been a few outdoor shows over the years but my 150W combo has never had a problem. I don't recall ever even turning the volume up past 7 or 8.

Are some bands just this loud?

You don't need an amp at all.

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[BurningSkies]

This would be funny if it wasn't so presumptuous. You have no clue about my (or anyone else's) specific gigging situation. Telling me what I have "no excuse for" is baseless (pun intended). I'm happy you have found what works for you. Count me among those who thoroughly enjoy a powerful rig, even though I can always go through our adequate PA.

This. Plus, I'm really not going to carry a truckload of PA gear to every gig. I play in a band, I occasionally and grudgingly work as impromptu sound engineer, I'm not a sound company, I'm not loading in a board, front end speakers, monitors, extra mics, stands, etc. Or if I am, they're going to pay me a rental fee plus time to do it. And I'm guessing that would kill off a lot of gigs. I'd rather keep our band focusing on our band.

Turns out my rig has a volume knob, I'd rather have too much on hand than too little...

...and yes, I've been on a bunch of stages where the in house sound doesn't want bass in the monitors.

 

[IngerAlb]

Hmmmzz...reasons...let's say I like to be prepared for any given situation, that I prefer to rely on my gear rather than what the venue will provide, and last, but not least, I don't like to push my stuff too much (so I'd rather have more headroom than cranking my amp all the time). I've been in bands with ridiculously loud guitards - and in that case a 500W bass amp was not enough - while the guy in my current band is a nice chap and pretty reasonable with his amp volume, so I can use a 300W without cranking it. So yeah, it depends, but I'd rather have more juice available and not using it, rather than squeezing all the power I can get from my rig.

 

[RickenBoogie]

really? (intended to answer the op, not any responses)

 

[newbold]

y'know when you're at home listening to that awesome record and can hear and feel the bass fully, with it being more present and louder than pretty much everything but the drums?

Stage volume often requires loads of sound and moving air.

I know that I can make out what I'm doing practicing with my 110 but when guitars and drums come into play then my tone and feel is all but lost.

I LOVE turning up the volume and turning DOWN the bass and parts of the midrange and still having all the whomp as a smaller rig with some boosty EQ. My tone comes through a lot better and I have room to move up AND down in dB.

 

[Mark Olson]

Going direct is the PITS tonally. If I had to play direct or with a sansamp all the time I'd find my tone so uninspiring that I'd probably quit playing. TONE. Some guys like tone I think sucks. Good for them. But if anyone is going to question the purpose of my rig, they obviously never played anything so nice. If I go through the PA, I mic.

 

[JazzbassArt]

I'm in a weekend bar band. The places we play don't have any PA. And the band I'm in doesn't have a PA that can handle bass. So I bring my Berg NV215 powered by a PLX 1602 and a Demeter 201s pre.

This is a reality rig.

 

[AwkwardLoudness]

If you always play shows with a good, reliable PA system with ample monitors, then no you don't need a huge bass rig. However, many of us do not have that luxury.

That's kinda my thing...... There is really no excuse to having to play a show without a good reliable PA...

I vehemently and thoroughly disagree. If I consistently played with the same band and we collectively had the means to haul a good PA, then it would make sense to get one. However, I've played with about 6 bands in the past year as either a member, fill in, or one off event. Not all venues have a good PA that handles bass along with the other instruments + vocals.

 

[BurningSkies]

This is a reality rig.

Exactly. Most live music (probably about 95%) is created in situations like this. I have played plenty of nice stages with full PAs back when I was playing a lot more and a lot more widely. But for most of the local and regional musicians, this is what you get. We also do a fair number of bars and clubs where you cart your own small system (mostly vocals, maybe kick and some keys), benefit shows with unknown systems (these are the most fun, because many times they're in college or high school gyms, or other non-music oriented large spaces.

The days of the old fashioned rock club outside of bigger cities are pretty limited. I'll bring my rig no matter what, so I know what I'll be hearing on stage, and by extension, my band will too.

 

[BassGen]

I've never played a venue that had a PA that would be worthy of announcing anything let alone running music through. We have our own PA but it's only big enough to handle the vocals. We are a small amateur band. I like my big rig. In a performance it is both my sound and my monitor. I take 2 410's with me because bass tones stay low. Without the upper cab I have a hard time hearing myself.

That and it looks good on stage. We can't all be in bands like Rush where you have your own killer sound system.

 

[queevil]

I haven't played live in a while but my experience tells me that you simply have to have the right tools for the job. It never hurts to be able to have for volume on tap when needed. I've always played with a fairly light touch which means that more volume lets my fingers relax and my amp do the work when I have enough volume.

Jimmy, I wouldn't call you a puss. Being able and willing to play at conservative volumes for the greater good of the sound as a whole is commendable in my book. I wish more musicians would show the the same restraint. As much as I love the bass, I've been to to many live gigs where the bass is simply to loud and it just kills what would otherwise be a great sounding mix.

 

[SactoBass]

That and it looks good on stage. We can't all be in bands like Rush where you have your own killer sound system.

+1

And to add to that, I have found that it's a helluva lot easier to schlep my amp rig instead of three full-sized Henhouse rotisserie chicken fryer machines.

 

[Interceptor]

Not all of us are rock or big venue players.

In my humble town (which has a very active scene) most of the venues do not have house sound. And, they are not all that big. Most of the regulars use a good solid backline unless their band is carting a solid PA.

I get great PA with my main act, and do leave my rig home with them.

But, I also play jazz and at church from time to time. Both are "rig time" for me.

 

[Sundogue]

I vehemently and thoroughly disagree. If I consistently played with the same band and we collectively had the means to haul a good PA, then it would make sense to get one. However, I've played with about 6 bands in the past year as either a member, fill in, or one off event. Not all venues have a good PA that handles bass along with the other instruments + vocals.

I play in a band that has its own PA (and a very kickass one at that) and is brought to every show. We run it ourselves and I have the ability to make my bass through it sound the way I want it to.

Still, I'm building a fEARful 15/6 for me. No matter how good it sounds for everyone else, I want it to sound and feel good to me too onstage. Why shouldn't I get to enjoy it too?